SanDisk Enterprise Technology Alliance partners : SanDisk Corporation announced the SanDisk Enterprise Solutions Technology Alliance, allowing partners to evaluate compatibility and interoperability of their products with SanDisk’s secure portable hardware and supporting software, as well as join with SanDisk to raise awareness of best practices in endpoint and portable data security. SESTA is backed by a roster of founding partners including Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.; Citrix Systems Inc.; McAfee Inc.; RSA, The Security Division of EMC; and VeriSign, Inc. “We are honored to have such prestigious founding partners for SESTA,” said Roy Ramati, vice president and general manager of the Enterprise Division at SanDisk.

SanDisk MP3 music download store : SanDisk Corporation released the following statement by Daniel Schreiber, senior vice president and general manager of the audio and video business unit at SanDisk: “We at SanDisk are excited by Amazon’s announcement today of a DRM-free music download store, supported by EMI Music, that will offer tracks in the MP3 format. This is the first time a major record label and a major retailer have come together to offer consumers the freedom to buy music compatible with all MP3 players. As consistent advocates of consumer choice, we believe this is an important step forward.” Schreiber and other SanDisk executives are available today to comment further.

Microsoft and SanDisk replacing U3 Smart Technology : Microsoft and SanDisk Corporation announced they have signed an agreement to deliver a next-generation software and hardware solution to place application programs and personal customization on USB flash drives and flash memory cards, expanding on and replacing SanDisk’s existing U3 Smart Technology. Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will develop a new software experience and SanDisk will develop new hardware capabilities, including the addition of TrustedFlash security technology. SanDisk will incorporate the combined software and hardware solution on removable flash memory cards and Cruzer USB flash drives. The new offering is commercially available 2nd half of 2008.

Hynix and SanDisk flash memory license agreement : Hynix and SanDisk announced that they have reached an agreement for a patent cross license covering the Flash memory components of both companies and an agreement for product supply. Concurrently, the companies signed a memorandum of understanding that outlines a joint venture contemplated between the two companies which will manufacture memory components and sell NAND memory system solutions. Details of the joint venture will involve equal capital investments by both companies in dedicated production capacity at Hynix. The parties’ x4 technology cooperation was started between msystems Ltd. and Hynix before the acquisition of msystems by SanDisk. Other terms of the agreement are con

SanDisk sell MPEG Audio compression technology : SanDisk has acquired a patent license for the use of the MPEG Audio technology from Sisvel S.p.A and its US subsidiary, Audio MPEG, Inc. Under the license, SanDisk is licensed to sell products using the patented MPEG Audio compression technology developed by France Telecom, Telediffusion De France, Philips Electronics, and the Institut fur Rundfunktechnik. In light of the license agreement, the parties have agreed to dismiss the litigation and administrative proceedings pending between them. By taking a license, SanDisk has joined over 800 other companies that are licensed on these patents for MP3 players and other products using MPEG Audio compression technology.

SanDisk partners with NEC in mobile phone market : Sandisk Corporation announced that NEC Electronics Corporation has selected the SanDisk iNAND embedded flash drive (EFD) as the solid-state mobile storage solution for a new music phone platform that is based on its latest music playback chip, the AP131 audio processor. This marriage of advanced digital technologies, said the two companies, could give music lovers greatly increased playback times by lowering power consumption up to 85 percent. The AP131-based music phone platform running off the SanDisk iNAND embedded flash drive will be demonstrated at 3GSM World Congress in Hall 7, Booth 7C62 at Spain’s Fira de Barcelona exhibition grounds.

Secure Content on SanDisk Flash Memory Cards : SanDisk announced that the i-mode Alliance, which consists of 18 mobile network providers around the globe1, has selected SanDisk’s TrustedFlash technology as the preferred solution for securely pre-loading and downloading premium content on removable flash memory cards in mobile phones that use i-mode mobile Internet services outside of Japan. The announcement was made at 3GSM World Congress, where SanDisk is exhibiting its mobile products at Spain’s Fira de Barcelona exhibition grounds. TrustedFlash memory cards for i-mode phones will be sold through mobile phone and electronics stores in the countries where the service is available, and will be offered on SanDisk microSD cards.

SanDisk TrustWatch : SanDisk Corporation introduced the TrustWatch integrated suite of applications that transform off-the-shelf USB flash drives from a security threat to a competitive advantage in the enterprise. The announcement was made at the RSA Conference 2007, where SanDisk is demonstrating its security products in the Moscone Center. TrustWatch is built around a secure network appliance and a management console, through which IT administrators can easily configure and deploy secured USB flash drives (UFDs), while preventing information from being copied to unapproved devices. The TrustWatch solution allows the IT department to select from SanDisk’s line of standard flash drives for issue to employees.

SanDisk Ducati MotoGP Sponsorship : SanDisk, the leader in delivering speed and reliability to digital photographers, announced a two-year sponsorship of Ducati Corse’s MotoGP race team, a leader in the high-speed world of motorcycle racing. SanDisk’s name and logo will appear on Ducati Corse MotoGP motorcycles, team clothing and riders’ leathers, the two companies said during the unveiling of Ducati’s Desmosedici GP7 racing motorcycle at the Wrooom MotoGP Event in Madonna di Campiglio. “SanDisk and Ducati share a passion for excellence in engineering and performance,” said Wes Brewer, vice president for products marketing at SanDisk. SanDisk and Ducati expect to announce more elements of their agreement in the months ahead.